Podcast Summary
Discussing the beloved JRPG, Xenogears, and making up for a delay with a bonus book: TripleClick team shares their love for Xenogears, discusses its turn-based combat and impactful story, and plans to read and discuss a gamer book as a bonus for listeners due to a delay caused by COVID-19
TripleClick, a podcast, discusses their favorite JRPG, Xenogears, from the late 90s, which features turn-based combat and an impactful story. The hosts, Maddy Meyers, Jason Schreyer, and Kirk Hamilton, share their love for the game despite having a delay due to one of the hosts, Kirk, falling ill with COVID-19. To make up for the delay, they plan to read and discuss a gamer book, Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow, as a bonus for both members and non-members. The podcast aims to provide entertaining content and encourages listeners to join as members for additional perks. Despite the setback, the team remains committed to delivering engaging content for their audience.
The Xenoblade series: A complex JRPG franchise with an intriguing history: The Xenoblade series, created by Tetsuya Takahashi, features open-world exploration and real-time combat, setting it apart from traditional JRPGs, despite its complex development background and varying critical reception.
The Xenoblade series, a loosely connected JRPG franchise, has an intriguing history and unique development background. Created by Tetsuya Takahashi, the series has bounced around between different game developers and publishers. While some games in the series, like Xenogears and Xenosaga, have received critical acclaim, others, like Xenoblade, have distinct differences. For instance, Xenoblade games feature open-world exploration and real-time combat, setting them apart from the more traditional turn-based combat of Xenogears and Xenosaga. Despite its complex history, the Xenoblade series has garnered a dedicated fanbase, with the latest installment, Xenoblade Chronicles 3, receiving positive reviews upon release. Whether you're a longtime fan or new to the series, the Xenoblade games offer a fresh take on the JRPG genre.
Xenogears: A Groundbreaking RPG with Sci-Fi and Fantasy Elements: Xenogears, developed by Tetsuya Takahashi, stands out with its 80-hour long epic story, blend of sci-fi and fantasy, giant robots, and memorable music. Despite an unfinished second half, its impactful narrative left a lasting impression.
Xenogears, a game developed by Tetsuya Takahashi during his time at Square, was a groundbreaking RPG that came out during the peak of Square's PlayStation era. With its blend of sci-fi and fantasy elements, giant robots, and an epic, sprawling story, Xenogears stood out among other games like Final Fantasy 7, Final Fantasy 8, and Chrono Cross. The game, which is approximately 80 hours long, features a turn-based combat system, hand-to-hand combat, and giant mech combat. Xenogears' music, composed by Yasunori Matsuda, is also noteworthy. Despite the unfinished second half, the game's story, which includes elements of warfare, reincarnation, love, and even cannibalism, left a lasting impression on many players. Unfortunately, none of Takahashi's following games have lived up to the expectations set by Xenogears. After leaving Square, Takahashi formed his own company, Monolith Soft, and went on to develop Xenoblade Chronicles and other Xenosaga games.
Xenosaga: A spiritual successor to Xenogears: Xenosaga, a 6-part series evolved into a trilogy, pushes boundaries with hard sci-fi, robots, and spiritual elements, heavily influenced by Evangelion, offering a complex and engaging experience.
Xenosaga, though published by Namco Bandai instead of Square and primarily on PS2, was originally intended as a 6-part series connecting to Xenogears as a prequel, sequel, and successor. The series, which evolved into a trilogy due to lackluster sales, delves into hard sci-fi themes in space, featuring robots and spiritual elements, including Judaic mythology. The games, which were quite boundary-pushing for their time, contain intricate stories, numerous plot twists, and a vast array of intriguing characters. Xenosaga's narrative is heavily influenced by Evangelion, with both series sharing themes of gods, angels, and demons. Despite its complexities, Xenosaga offers a unique and engaging experience for those willing to dive into its sprawling universe.
The Long-Awaited Release of Xenoblade Chronicles in the US: Fans' persistence led to Xenoblade Chronicles' successful release in the US, despite high localization costs and the Wii's declining popularity. The game's success resulted in a series of sequels and Monolith Soft's acquisition by Nintendo.
The release of Xenoblade Chronicles in the US was a long-fought battle between fans and Nintendo due to the high localization costs and the Wii's declining popularity at the time. Despite this, the game became a massive success for Nintendo after its release, leading to a series of sequels. Monolith Soft, the developer of the Xenoblade series, was eventually bought by Nintendo. The games are known for their massive size, text-heavy nature, and MMO-like elements, which can be grindy and tedious for some players. However, they have a dedicated fanbase who appreciate the depth and complexity of the games. The first Xenoblade Chronicles was critically acclaimed and helped fuel the Operation Rainfall movement, which aimed to bring three Japanese RPGs to the US market.
Xenoblade Chronicles games offer unique experiences: Fans have mixed feelings about certain titles, but each game offers a distinct experience within the same universe, with varying elements such as characters and story.
Despite having significant connections and shared elements, the Xenoblade Chronicles games offer distinct experiences. Some fans, including the speaker, have had mixed feelings about certain titles like Xenoblade Chronicles 2, which has been praised by many for its graphics, music, and unique concept of sentient weapons transforming into beautiful women. However, the speaker personally found the game disappointing due to its characters and story. It's important to note that these games are part of the same universe and have some twists at the end that connect them, but the general experience of each game is separate. The speaker also mentions that they haven't finished any of these games due to their length, which is around 100 hours. Despite the speaker's negative review, Xenoblade Chronicles 2 has maintained high critical acclaim, with many praising its anime-inspired design and engaging gameplay.
Criticizing Modern JRPGs: Monotonous Tasks and Shallow Characters: The speaker finds modern JRPGs like Xenoblade Chronicles series monotonous due to redundant tasks and unnecessary systems, and lacks depth in characters and stories compared to their favorites.
The speaker has a critical perspective towards certain elements in modern JRPGs, specifically those in the Xenoblade Chronicles series. They find these games to be monotonous, with unnecessary systems and redundant tasks that feel like a waste of time. Additionally, they believe the characters and stories lack depth compared to their favorite JRPGs. The speaker acknowledges that there are different camps of JRPG fans, with some enjoying fan service and others appreciating the TDM (Turn-Based Mechanics) and filling checklists. The speaker's personal preference leans towards more engaging characters and stories, which they feel are missing in these games. They've had some initial impressions of Xenoblade Chronicles 3, but their overall opinion remains that these games don't snap or feel cohesive as they would like.
Xenoblade Chronicles 3's Engaging Narrative and Intense Combat: Xenoblade Chronicles 3 offers a compelling story about child soldiers and intense combat, but repetitive dialogue and potentially low-requirement combat may detract from the experience.
Xenoblade Chronicles 3's narrative setup is more engaging and intense than the first two games, with a compelling story about child soldiers living and fighting for ten years. The game's opening is more effective and less reliant on tropes. The combat, while having an MMO-style auto system, can be repetitive and low requirement, but may become more complex and high-intensity as the game progresses. The dialogue can be repetitive, which was a complaint in earlier games. However, the potential for a high-effort, high-intensity experience exists, with bosses acting as bullet sponges. It remains to be seen if the story can be enjoyed with the combat on an easier setting. Despite some concerns, the speaker expresses a desire to give the game a fair chance and hopes for its success.
Xenogears' Challenges for Modern Players: Xenogears, a complex JRPG from 1998, offers a deep and engaging experience despite slow text, requiring patience and an emulator. Its solid translation, lengthy story, and nuanced characters make it a big time commitment worth taking for JRPG fans.
Xenogears, a 1998 JRPG, holds up well despite some challenges for modern players. The text moves slowly, requiring an emulator and patience. The translation is solid, though there are some quirks to get used to. The game's length, complex story, and deep characters are praised, making it a big time commitment but worth it for those who enjoy JRPGs and their intricate systems. The game's turn-based combat and character development are contrasted with Suikoden 2, and the game's customizable gears and nuanced characters are highlighted. Overall, Xenogears is a rich, complex game that, while not for everyone, offers a deep and engaging experience.
Preferring Neon Genesis Evangelion over Xenoblade, the speaker highlights Evangelion's compelling story and characters.: The speaker recommends Neon Genesis Evangelion for its engaging story and characters, despite not being an avid anime fan, and finds Xenoblade's main characters insufferable, but praises the strong female leads in Xenogears and Xenosaga.
The speaker expresses a preference for watching Neon Genesis Evangelion over the Xenoblade series, finding it more rewarding in terms of story and characters. They suggest that Evangelion is a must-watch anime, available on Netflix, despite the speaker not being a huge anime fan. The speaker also acknowledges the depth and interesting themes in the Xenoblade series but finds the main characters, specifically Shulk and Rex, insufferable. They praise the strong female characters and intriguing storylines in Xenogears and Xenosaga as well. The speaker also mentions playing Stray, a video game, on their Steam Deck and expresses interest in it.
Exploring the world as a cat in Stray: Stray offers a unique gaming experience as a cat, with realistic feline movements and behaviors, immersive environments, and puzzles to solve.
Stray, a game developed by Blue 12 Studios, offers an immersive experience as players control an orange tabby cat navigating a post-human world filled with robots. The game's greatest strength lies in its realistic feline movement and behavior, allowing players to interact with the environment in ways that mimic a cat's actions. Although it's primarily an adventure game with puzzle-solving and light combat, Stray's unique selling point is the sense of being a cat, with limited control and believable cat behaviors. The game's compact size, beautiful graphics, and well-executed concept make it a standout title, especially for cat lovers like Maddie.
Movie vs Book: Humanizing Annie Wilkes in 'Misery': Though Kathy Bates' performance added humanity to Annie Wilkes in the movie, she was more monstrous in the book. James Caan's portrayal of the author character added an element of badassery not present in the book.
The movie adaptation of Stephen King's "Misery" may not be as scary as the book due to Kathy Bates' humanizing performance as the crazed fan, Annie Wilkes. The movie, directed by Rob Reiner, faced challenges in casting due to the passive role and female-dominated narrative. Kathy Bates' research into the psyche of murderers and her portrayal of Annie Wilkes' potential motivations added layers of humanity to the character. Conversely, in the book, Annie Wilkes is more monstrous and terrifying. James Caan's performance as the author character in the movie also adds an element of badassery, which is not present in the book. Overall, the movie is still worth watching, and the podcast "Just King Things" provides valuable insights into the making of the film and the societal context of its production.
Experience the unique JRPG Terranigma in English with its beautiful HD 2D graphics and seven distinct campaigns.: Play Terranigma, a prequel to Chrono Trigger, for its intriguing narratives and engaging gameplay, featuring seven campaigns ranging from prehistoric to sci-fi themes, and explore a new world with a super party after completion.
Terranigma, the 2022 Switch remake of the Super Nintendo game, is the only official way to play this unique and fascinating JRPG in English. With a style reminiscent of Octopus Traveler and Triangle Strategy, the game's HD 2D graphics are beautiful and modern. The game is a prequel to Chrono Trigger and offers seven distinct campaigns, each with its own unique story and gameplay, ranging from prehistoric to sci-fi and wrestling themes. Although there is some tedium and backtracking, the game is worth playing for the intriguing narratives and the final campaign that ties everything together. Once you complete all the campaigns, you can form a super party with all the characters and explore a new world filled with side quests and secrets. Despite some design choices, such as the lack of random encounters in most campaigns, the game's overall experience is engaging and enjoyable.
Live a Live's unconventional campaigns and unique mechanics: Live a Live stands out with its random encounters, unconventional dialogue, and intriguing gameplay mechanics, offering a unique experience for players willing to put in the effort.
The final campaign of Live a Live features random encounters that detracted from the overall experience for some players, but the game offers unique campaigns with interesting mechanics, such as setting traps in a Wild West town to prepare for a final battle. The game's dialogue and themes are also unconventional for a Nintendo title, with foul language and unexpected humor. Despite some drawbacks, Live a Live is a weird and intriguing game worth checking out for those willing to put in the effort. Additionally, the game's release and remake are unusual, adding to its overall mystique. Overall, Live a Live offers a unique gaming experience with a blend of science fiction, fantasy, and historical settings, making it a standout title in the industry.
